Portable crane



May 14, 1940.

H. HAYES PORTABLE CRANE Filed No'v.

nnymmllmyn 26, 1958 5 ShetS-Sheet 1 f/ 2,Il!IllIIUlmIIlIIllllllllll-llllllllllllllmllllll Q i Wok? INI/N70? HALHAYES A TTO/VEY May 14, 1940- H. HAYES 2,200,274

PORTABLE CRANE File@ NOV. 26, 1938 5 Sl'leetS--SheeiI 2 ATTU/VEY May 14,1940.

H. HAYES 2,200,274

PORTABLE CRANE Filed Nv. 2s, 193e 5 SheeiZs--Sheetl 3 /A/VfA/TOR H HAV55 Afm/mfr May 14, 1940.

H. HAYES PORTABLE CRANE Filed Nov. 2,6, 1938 5 sheets-sheet 4 ATTORNEYMay 14, 1940. H, HAYES 2,200,274i

PORTABLE CRANE Filed No'v. 26, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 14,194e Pom-ABLE om Hal Hayes, Los Angeles, Calif. Appucauon Notember zc,193s, serial No. 242,551 (on. 212-49) g fi. Claims. This inventionrelates 'to aportable crane.

In the building of various structures. par.

ticularly those concerned with the placing of concrete or othercementitious material, it is usually necessary to provide forms whichmust be set in place and removed therefrom After these forms arepositioned it is then necessary to prepare and piace concrete in oraround them in order to make a wall structure. A device of thisparticular .charl0 acter is shown in my co-pending application entitled-Portable crane, filed. in the United States Patent Oillce July 12,1937, and bearing Serial No.v 153,180.' now Patent No. 2,14,111 grantedJanuary 10, 1939. Inthis type'of crane it is desirable llli to provide astructure which is mobile and may be readily set up for` use at adesired point of operation, the structure being easily folded fortransportation and unfolded so that it will have lsufficient overheadclearance to elevate and place wall forms of a height as represented bythe top of a building to be constructed, and which crane may be thenused to mix and place concrete in and around the forms, and thereaftermay be used to elevate the forms and leave the concrete walls standingas supported by their own strength.

the crane tower, 4the boom thereon and the concrete mixing and placingapparatus.

The present'invention contemplates the provision of a truck designed tocarry an extensible tower and concrete mixing and conveying mech. anism,the upper end of said tower being tted with a boom made in sections andwhich may be extendedghorizontally to a length giving it a reachsuillcientto swing over the entire area of opera-` tion around thetruck, the structure being tted with further novel means wherebyconcrete may be conveyed from a mixing device carried bythe truck to anysuitable point along the length of the boom.

'I'he invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is `a view in side elevation showing the complete portablecrane in its operative position.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation similar toFig. 1`

reversal and transportation. Y

Fig. 3 is a view in en'd elevation. showing the structure with sidebracing tending to stabilize 55 the crane when the boom hangs in anover-balanced relation to the vehicle which serves as its.

Fig. 4 is a view in plan showing the crane as indicated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the driving means forextending or contracting the tower.

Fig. 6 is a. view in diagram indicating the cable arrangementfor theboom.

Fig. 7 is a view in diagram indicating in plan the manner in .which thetower extending and collapsing mechanism is driven.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertishowing the structurecollapsed and ready for cal section and elevation showing the drivingmeans for the turntable.

Fig. `9 is an enlarged view showing the bucket guide as seen on the line9 9 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation indicating the'centering means for the bucket.

Fig. 11 is a view in transverse section as seen onthe line I I-I I ofFig. 5 and showing the construction of the posts of the tower.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view in plan indicating in diagram the variousclutch and transmission units carried.- on the tower. J

Fig. 13 is anenlarged view in transverse secl tion as seen on the lineI3-,I3 of Fig. 1 and shows the construction of the traveling carriageand the method of mounting it on the boom.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

III indicates the chassis of a motor truck having the usual front wheelsII and rear wheels I2. At the forward end of the truck is the usualmotor unit I3. In this particular construction a, frame I4 is mounted onthe chassis at the rear end of the truck and receives a. concrete mixingunit I5. This unit includes a power unit I6 driving a concrete mixer I6and in connection with which a skip Ill is mounted to feed theingredients of a cementitious mixture into the drum of the mixer Mountedbetween the cab I9 of the truck and the concrete mixing unit I5 is atower 'structure 20. 'I'his includes a unit 2i which is rigidly fas- 4ends to bearings 28. The bearings 26 and 28 rotatably hold the shafts21. As shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the shafts 21 are threadedthroughout their length and each receives a nut 29 which is fixed to avertical corner post 30 of the upper movable section 22. The uppermovable section 22 is of smaller dimensions in a horizontal plane thanthe lower fixed section 2|, and in view thereof it can move downwardlyand telescope within the xed section. The corner posts are securedtogether by horizontal tie elements 3| and diagonal elements 32. One ofthe shafts 21 is fitted with a worm Wheel 33 at its lower end and thisis in mesh with a worm gear 34 so that it may be driven thereby. 'I'heworm gear 34 is carried upon a drive shaft 35 which leads into a clutch36 which is controlled by a shifting lever 31 so that the drive of theshaft 35 may be established and driven in advance or reversed direction.

The driving element of the clutch 36 is connected with a drive shaft 38.This shaft is fitted with a universal joint 39. A shaft 40 is alsoconnected with the universal joint and is placed in driving connectionwith the engine unit |3. In order that all of the shafts 21 may operatein unison each is fitted with a sprocket 4| to receive an endless chain42 which leads around the outer periphery of all the sprockets. Atension sprocket 43 is provided to deflect the chain 42 at a pointbetween two of the shafts 21 and to thereby maintain the chain indriving engagement with all of the sprockets 4| all the time. By thisarrangement the shafts 21 may be simultaneously driven to raise andlower the movable section 22 of the tower.

Mounted upon the upper end of the tower section 22 is a platform 44.This platform has a central opening 45 through it for a purpose to behereinafter described. The opening is preferably circular. Arrangedaround the opening and thereabove is an annular track 46 which has avertically extending cylindrical side wall 41, an overhanging flange 48and a trackway 49. Resting upon the trackway 49 are wheels 50 of aturntable 5|. These wheels are mounted insbearings 52 which are carriedby a frame structure 53 forming a boom mounting for the boom 54. Theframe structure 53 includes a plurality of transverse horizontal tieplates 55 with a central opening therethrough and vertical uprights 56and 51. The upper ends of the frame structure 53 are tied together byhorizontal elements 58. Suspended from the frame structure 53 is aplatform 59 carrying a ytransmission unit 60, the details of which areindicated in diagram in. Fig. 12. A driven shaft 6| is provided for thisunit and is driven from a drive shaft 62 forming a part of a power unit63. The driving action is accomplished by sprockets 64 and 65 and adriving chain 66. It will be seen that the power unit 63 is mounted on aplatform 61 carried by hangers 68. 'This places the transmission 60 andthe power unit 63 in an overhanging position as supported by the towerextension 53 and upon the diametrically opposite side thereof from theboom 54. The details of construction of the transmission will be more`fully described hereinafter.

It is intended that the tower extension 53 shall rotate around thelongitudinal vertical central axis of the tower 20. This is accomplishedby providing a ring gear 69 which is secured to the platform 44 andcircumscribes the central opening 45 therethrough. In mesh with thisring gear is a pinion 10 carried by a vertical shaft 1|. The verticalshaft 1| is supported in bearings 12 pinion 10 is driven the towerextension 53 will be caused to rotate around a central vertical axis asdetermined by the guide track structure -46 and the rollers 50.' Aninner overhanging lip 18 prevents the rollers from moving laterally.

Secured with relation to the tower extension 53 is a horizontallydisposed boom section 19. This overhangs thetower at the opposite sidefrom that upon which the power unit is mounted and is pivoted thereto.for vertical movement at 19'. The length of this section is a lengthsubstantially suillcient to cause the boom to overhang an end of thetruck. At the outer end of the boom section 19 is a hinge structure 80.This hinge structure carries a boom section 8| which may swingdownwardly and then upwardly to a folded position beneath the boomsection 19, as particularly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In order tosupport the overhanging weight of the boom when itis in its unfoldedposition a mast 82 is pivotally secured to the tower extension 53 uponpivots 83. This mast is provided with a brace post 84, which is pivotedto the tower extension 53 at 85 and detachably secured to the mast at86. A guy cable 81 is provided and is led from a winch 88 upwardly overa pulley 89 at the top of the mast 82 and then is led outwardly anddownwardly through an eye 90 carried at the outer end of the fixed boomsection 19 and into a fastening pin 9| carried by the free section 8| ofthe boom. This guy wire 81 may be wound or unwound by operation of thetransmission 60 and by driving the pulley 88 through its shaft 92.

Mounted at the outer end of the boom section 8| is a shaft 93 carrying apulley 94. Led around the pulleyf94 is a cable 95. One end of this cableattaches to the bearing 98 of a travelling pulley shaft 91, upon which atravelling pulley 98 is mounted. The other end of the cable 95 is ledaround a drive shaft 99 and over a pulley |00. This end of the cable 95is attached to a bearing |0| carrying a shaft |02 of a travelling pulley|03. ported by the bearing structure 96 and carry anged wheels 96' whichtravel along the lower rails of the boom sections 19 and 8|. Thus, whenthe cable 95 moves in one direction the traveling structure includingthe two pulleys 98 and |03 moves outwardly in unison along the boom andwhen it moves in the opposite direction the two traveling pulleys 98 and|03 move inwardly along the boom. Secured to the bearing |04 whichrotatably supports the pulley -shaft 93 at the outer end of the boomse'ction 8| is a cable |05. 'I'his cable is led around the pulley |06 ofa traveling block 01. The opposite end of the cable |05 is led around a.winding drum |08 mounted on a shaft |09 and driven through a gear setunit |09' of the transmission 60. As the cable |05 is paid out thetraveling block will be lowered irrespec-` These pulleys and shafts aresupcome r from its closed position will permit the contents of thebucket to .be discharged.

The bucket m maybe transported mandI from the concretemixing .unit 'toanydesired lpointalongthe length of the boom and to any desired levelbetween the boom and the ground.

When the bucket is moved into a position within the tower extension 5lit may then be lowered down through the center of the tower until itreaches a catcher` III. This catcher is formed with'wedgeshaped fansIIS' which will be engaged by pins |I4 on opposite .sides of the'bucketand will rotate thebucket to bring the `pins in register withguides ||5.

The pins ||4 are disposed along opposite sides of the bucket and when inregister with guide channels I5 will position the bucket for filling.These guide channels extend downwardly and toward 'the rear of the towersothat the bucket may assume the position shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings and will be so disposed as to receive the mixed concrete fromthe concrete mixing unit |5, after which the bucket may be elevated andmoved laterallyto place the concrete as desired. In view of the longreach provided by the boom it is necessary to brace the tower and tocounterbalance the boom, and it is also necessary to stabilize thechassis so that it will not rest yupon the vehicle springs. Thestructure may be braced lengthwise of the motor truck by diagonal braces||6 whichare secured by their upper ends to the A fixed tower section 2|at a convenient height. The

lower ends are secured to a frame extension I I1.

which projects horizontally beyond the forward-4 end of the motor truckradiator. A transverse beam ||8 extends horizontally to tie the separatebrace Vmembers ||8 and ||1. Carried by these transverse beams 8 is aplurality of jacks IIS.

These jacks include a bodyportion |20, a threaded screw |2| whichengages a nut |22 and carries a foot |28 at its lower end. Similar jacks||8 are carried at the rear of the truck and thus take all of the weightof the structure off vof the springs so that Vthe tower 20 will be heldrigidly in its vertical position during operation.

In the event that the boom is required to swing to the side of thelongitudinal axis of the truck, which lwould be often the case,stabilizing frames |24 are provided. These include-diagonal frameelements' |25 secured to the fixed tower section 2| nearl the upper vendthereof and extend downwardly and outwardly to be secured to ahorizontal beam |26. Suitable diagonal bra'cing |21 is provided to givethestructure rigidity. Disposed the `structure may swing to thecollapsedposition indicated indotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

In operation of the present invention the structure is assembled asparticularly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and when ready fortransporta-i `tion appears as shown in Fig. 2. `In actual practice theboom'is swung to a trailing position. In this condition the jacks Il!will be elevated and the side brace elements |24 will be swung along--'side the tower for transportation. vThe tower is in its collapsedcondition with the movableA section 22.and`the;extension 58 lowered'to apoint of rest on the supporting frame of the structure. At the same timethe bucket will be lowered down through the tower and disposed in theguides III where it will seat against a stop Ill. The boom 54 will befolded around vthe hinge 80 so that the boom section 8| will be swung inand beneath the section 18 and will be held by suitable fastening means|80. At this time the various cables 81, and |05 will be drawn aroundthe folded end of the boom in position for subsequent use. When it isdesired to use the structure vit is moved to a selected position, afterwhich the various-jacks ||8 are adjusted to assume positlonsshown` inFig. 1 andtoholdthe entire structure level onl the ground `upon whichthe wheels ofthe truck are resting. The brace structure |24 may then beyswung into position and supplied with yballast on the side upon whichit is required, or if necessary similar brace. structures may be used onboth sides of the tower. The boom may then be rotated through'the powerunit 55 and the transmission unit 60 so that the shaft 1| will bedriven. This will swing the folded boom 54 from a position oflongitudinal alignment. with the truck to a position where the lowersection 8| ofthe boom may be swung outwardly and upwardly from the.

position indicated in Fig.-2 of the drawingsr to the position indicatedin Fig. 1 of thedrawings. It`will be understood that the action ofmoving the boom through the drive shaft 1| Will lcause the boom totravel in a horizontal plane around the vertical axis established by thetower.

driving action to thus swing the boom includesv elements within thetransmissionunit 60.

The

to the shaft 15. The shaft 15,\as previously described, carries the worm15 in mesh with the worm gear 14. It will thus be evident that bymanipulation of the reversible clutch 60' the direction of rotatlom ofthe worm 15 may be produced, and that by settingthe transmission16' inneutral the driving action may be interrupted. The worm 15 and the gear14 are irreversible in' theiraction so that the turntable will yremainlocked as set.

In order to swing the outer boom section 8| upwardly to its desiredposition or to swing the boom around its pivot 54' the cable 81 may bemoved by rotation of -the drum 88. This drum which is ymounted on shaft82 is driven by.worm gear set 88' from a shaft 82'. Thel shaft/ 92'carries a wheel |40 which may be a sprocket wheel'or a pulley and aroundwhich a. flexible driving element |4| is led. The element |4|1 also t isled around a driving wheel |42 which is freely mounted upon the shaft6|. A clutch element |43'is splined to the shaft so that the sprocket|42 may be keyedl to the shaft for driving action or disconnectedtherefrom when it is not desired to manipulate the cable 81. In event itis desired to operate the carriage structure carrying the sheaves 88 andA|08 the cable 95 may be operated.' When the outer boom section 8| hasbeen properly positioned inlongitudinal alignment with the section 18the two elements may be fastened together by suitable fastening meansISI.

When it is desired to raise and lower the bucket the cable |05 may bemanipulated. This cable is wound on drum carried upon a shaft |09. Aworm structure |00' drives the shaft |09`froxn a reversible clutch unit|44. The clutch unit |44 is driven through gears |09' carried by a driveshaft 02, thus the cable may be unwound or' the structure |01 and thehook ||0 the cable 95 may be shifted. This cable is led over a guidesheave |45 and is connected by its oppositeends to the bearingstructures 96 and |0| of the carriage 96" upon which the sheaves 98 and|03 are mounted. 'I'he cable 95 is also led around sheave |00 and loopedaround an idler sheave |00 so that suilicient friction will be exertedupon the cable to prevent it from slipping' on the sheaves as they aredriven'. The sheave `|00 as mounted upon the shaft 99 is driven througha worm gear set 99'. A shaft |46 drives the worm gear from areversibleclutch |41. This clutch is provided with a shaft |48 carrying a. drivewheel or sprocket |49v around which a belt or chain |50 is led. Thiselement is led around a wheel or sprocket |5| upon the shaft 62, thuswhen the reversible clutch |41 stands in a neutral position the shaft|46 will not be driven, but when in either of its active positions willdrive the cable 95 to 4shift the carriage 96" and the sheaves 98 and |03thereon. This will cause the supporting hook ||0 and the lbucket to movelongitudinally of the boom to a supported position along the length ofthe boom or to a position within the tower so that the bucket may belowered through the opening 5|' in the plate 52 and then through thecenter opening occurring in ring gear 69. When the bucket is so loweredthe pins ||4 thereon will strike the inclined faces H3' of the guidestructure ||3 and direct the pins ||4 into the channels H5, as shown inFig. 9 of the drawings. This will insure that as the bucket is loweredto a position where it may be filled from the cement mixing unit l5 thatthe bucket will stand in a proper position irrespective of that in whichit may have been hanging on the cable |05. Thus, it will be seen that asthe structure is manipulated the material from the mixing unit I5 may bedirectly placed within the bucket vand elevated directly up through thecenter of the towerand then horizontally and outwardly along the boomwithout requiring any intermediate transfer of material in moving itfrom its vertical path of travel to its horizontal one. 4

When'it`is desired to discontinue Ause of the structure and move theentire device to another point of operation the bucket and the hook H0will be drawn upwardly and into the top of the towerfafter which thefastening |3| may be disconnected to permit the outer boom sectionl toswing on the hinge'80 so that its outer end would swing downwardly andcould be then swung around to a position beneath and parallel to theboom section 19, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. 'I'he turntable maythen be rotated to place the folded boom in a trailing position on thevehicle, after which the tower may' be lowered by establishing drivingconnection through the transmission 36 to the worm gears 34 and 4| sothat the driving action will be simultaneously imparted to the endlesschain 42 which is led around the various shafts 21 and the sprocketsthereon. By this arrangement the shafts 21 will be rotated to yadvancethe nuts salons the screw sections of the shafts so that the upper towersection 22 may be lowered into the lower tower section and assume thecollapsed position indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When thelowering operation has been completed the driv-- ing operation throughthe transmission 30'may be interrupted. The side braces |24 may then beswung alongside the vehicle to the collapsed poa sitions shown in Fig. 4of the drawings and indicated by dotted lines. v

It will be obvious from anv examination of the drawings and anunderstanding of the operation that by the means here shown a portablecrane is provided which may be transported lreadily from place to placeand which may be used to,

support and move heavyloads, and to` quickly "transport concrete andother building materials `.from a point adjacent to the ground to apoint at any level reached by the tower and the boom. While I have shownthe preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it will beunderstood that various changes may be made in combination, constructionand arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, without depart ingfrom the spirit of my invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to lsecureby Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a motor vehicle, atelescoping tower' mounted thereon, means optionally driven by the powerplant of the vehicle for extending and contracting said tower, a boomformed of a plurality of folding sections, one of which is supported bythe tower whereby the boomwill overhang the tower, conveying means onthe boom, power means for the conveyor, said power means being mountedon the tower in a manner to counterbalance the boom, a turntablestructure driven by said power means whereby the boom may be swung in ahorizontal plane, and means associated with the power means for raisingand lowering the boom.

2. A device of the character described comprising a motor vehicle, atelescoping tower mounted thereon, means optionally driven by the powerplant of the vehicle for extending and contracting said tower, a boomformed of a plurality of folding sections, one of which vis supported bythe tower whereby the boomwill overhang the tower, conveying means onthe boom, power means for the conveyor, said power means being mountedon the tower in a manner to counter- ,of the motor vehicle foroptionally raising and lowering said tower, a turntable structure at theupper end of the tower adapted torotate around a vertical axis, a boomcarried at the top of the turntable structure and supporting the sameabove and in vertical spaced relation from the turntable structure, saidturntable structure having a central opening therethrough, power meansfor rotating the turntable structure and swinging the boom horizontally,abucket support on the boom, a bucket carried thereby, and means formanipulating the bucket support whereby the bucket may be movedhorizontally and vertically to a desired position with relation to theboom or lowered through the opening in the turntable structure and intothe tower.

4. A device of the character described including an extensible tower,power means for driving the same, a turntable structure at the upper endof the tower adapted to rotate around a vertical axis, a boom carried atthe top of the turntable in vertical spaced relation from the turntablestructure, said turntable structure having a central openingtherethrough, power means for rotating the turntable structure andswinging the boom horizontally, a bucket support on the boom, a'bucketcarried thereby, and means for manipulating the bucket support wherebythe bucket may be moved horizontally and vertically to a desiredposition with relation to the boom or lowered through the opening in theturntable structure and into the tower.

